Stream motor



Novf. 12, 1935. w. E. METHvlN STREAM MOTOR Filed Jan. 18, 1934 www MM5 INVENTOR 1 Biffi y ATTO Patented Nov. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My invention relates to fluid or stream motors and more particularly to an improved rotor `adapted to be used with a motor of the fluid type.

Heretofore, it has been proposed to provide fluid motors wherein the blade elements are attached to a central shaft, the blades and shaft being mounted in a suitable frame. The blades are generally propeller shaped and they sometimes have been made in the form of buckets adapted to catch and receive the iiuid medium as it passes through the rotor, the medium reacting with the surfaces of the blades to function as an impulse propeller. One of the disadvantages of the prior art devices is that their successful operation depends upon the direction of flow of the fluid medium.. In some cases, if the flow of the medium is not perpendicular to the shaft upon which the blades are mounted, the motor will not rotate when the angle of approach `of the fluid medium is varied.

One of the main objects of the present invention is to provide a rotor for stream motors wherein the rotor is actuated by the fluid medium regardless of its direction of flow or the angle of approach to the blades of the rotor. This is accomplished by means of a combination of novel blade elements, each blade being of a curvature designed to coact with the iiuid medium in a manner to produce rotation, always in the same direction.

The invention in its broadest aspect, comprehends a device which may be driven by any iiuid medium and is adapted to be used as a wind or water motor, whereby various types of apparatus may be driven from the power generated by the motor. 'Ihe fluid medium may consist of a single force or a combination of forces acting upon the rotor in any direction.

An object of my invention is to provide a fluid motor, wherein the rotor member will be actuated by a fluid medium regardless of the direction of iiow of the medium.

Another object of my invention is to provide a fluid motor having a rotor .adapted to be rotated inla predetermined direction by the fluid medium,

without limitation as to the direction or the angleV of approach of the fluid medium.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide an improved stream motor adapted to be driven by a moving current of fluid medium, either natural or articial and at any angle of l approach with respect to the rotor elements.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved rotor structure for stream motors wherein the blade elements are designed to be acted upon by the fluid medium in the `most efficient manner to develop power with the greatest eiiiciency.

A further object of the invention is to provide 5 a rotor for stream motors, having blade elements of novel curvature, whereby the fluid medium in its passage through the rotor, acts upon the blades without creating any appreciable drag upon the rotor. l0

With these and other objects in View, which may be incident to my improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations to be hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several necessary elel5 ments, comprising my invention, may be varied in lconstruction, proportions and arrangement, without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

In order to make my invention more clearly 2o understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawing means for carrying the vsame into practical effect, without hunting the improvements in their useful applications to the particular constructions, which for the purpose of explanation, 25 have been made the subject of illustration.

' In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the rotor element.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of Figure 1. 30

Fig. 3 is a sectional View along line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View along line 4--4 of Figure 2; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing one 35 adaptation of the invention.

Referring to the drawing and more particularly to Figure 1, my improved stream motor comprises a rotor designated generally by numeral l, having a plurality of blade elements 2, forming hub por- 40 tions 4 and 5 to which are attached ferrules 6 and 1 by means of which the rotor is keyed to .a central shaft 8 by suitable fastening means 9 9. Each blade element 2, is semi-circular shaped and is formed with a double camber, providing 45 a blunt leading edge I0 and a thin trailing edge Il. The leading edges of the blades are substantially in curvature between the points of attachment to the huby portions and the top outside surface l2 of the blade is tapered slightly, 50 while the inside surface I3 is formed ata sharp angle between the trailing edge and the point of ltangency with the semi-circular leading edge.

It will be noted that the trailing edge of each blade slopes inwardly and downwardly at I4 and 55 than the trailing edge midway between the endsV Vof the blade.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, there is shown crosssectional views Y0f a'blade element,rtaken along the line between the endsof the blade and near Y a hub portion thereof. It will be noted that the top outside portion I2 is tapered slightly and that l the inside surface I3 is formed ata sharp angle between the trailing edge and the point 0f tangency with the semi-circular leading edge.P The arrangement of the blunt leading edge and taperedportion I3 between the'leading'edge I0 and the trailing edge IIl is of such construction to cause rotation always in the same direction, that the outside of the blade.

is, counter-clockwise when the rotor is arranged as shown in Figure 2. Near the point of attachment of the blade at the hub portion, distance between the leading Vedge and trailing edge is less than it is at any point intermediate the ends of the blades.

Referring to Fig. 5, I have shown one adaptation of the invention used as a wind motor. In this arrangement, the rotorV I, is keyed to a central shaftlI'I having a gear I8 attached thereto. The shaft is supported upon a suitable Vstandard I9 formed with bearings 20 and 2I adapted. to receive and support the central shaft I'I.V A driven shaft 22 also mounted on the standard is lprovided with a gear 23 in mesh with gear I8 by means of which the shaft 22 is driven. The driven shaft may be connected with any apparatus, Vsuch as a pumpfor generator. A j

In the operation of the device, movement of the air in any direction with respect to the blades,

. will cause the rotor to be actuated and drive the mechanism connected with the driven shaft 22. It will be appreciated that the rotor may be adapted to freely rotate upon a centralshaft, in which case it-is provided with'a gear adapted to mesh with a gear on the end of the driven shaft.

Due to the novel curvature given to the blade elements and their arrangement in combination to form a sphere shaped rotoryrotation is always Vin the samedirection, even though the fluid medium approaches the blade elements at various angles simultaneously- By means of thisl arrangement of the blades, a' plurality of actuating forces Vmay be combined' to impart rotational movement to the sphere, its direction of rotation being independent of the number of forces or their angle of approach. Y Y

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the prel cise details of construction herein set forth, by way of illustrations, as itis apparentrthat Amany lchanges and variations may be made therein, by those skilled in theart, withoutY departingv from the spirit of the invention, or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: e

1. A rotor for stream motors comprising 'a plurality of double cambered semi-circular shaped blade elements, the" camber of the inside of each blade being greater than the camber, on

' attached tosaid hub portions, the camberof the 10 inside of each blade being greater than the camber on theoutside of the blade. A

4. Aspherical shaped rotor for stream motors ,comprising a plurality of l double cambered blade elements, the camber of the inside of each blade l5 Y A being greater than the camberon the outside of the blade, the leading edge of each of said` blade' elements ubeing Asemi-circular.

5.A rotor for stream motors comprising hub Y portions, a plurality of double camberedblade 20 Velements attached to the hub portions, the cam- -ber of the inside of eachblade being greater than the camber on the outside of the blade', the leading edge of eachV of said blades being semi-circular. l

6. A rotor for stream motors comprising hub portions, a vplurality of double cambered semicircular shaped blade elements attached to Ythe hub portions, the camber of the inside of each blade being greater than the camber onV the out- 3Q side of the blade, the'leading edge of each of said Yblades being semi-circular.

'7. 'A spherical shaped rotor forstream motors comprising a plurality of double cambered blade elements, the inner surface Yof each blade `being 3,5;

Y curved inwardly and outwardly near the points to which the rotor is supported.

18. A spherical shaped rotor-for stream motors comprising a plurality of double cambered bladeV e'lementathe' angle of inclination of the outer 4Q surface of'each blade being less thanjthe inclination ofV the inner surface of "theblade 9. A rotor for stream motors comprising Ya' plurality of double cambered semi-circular 'shaped blade elements, the angle of' inclination of ,the 45. outer surface of eachV blade being less than the inclination of the inner surface of the blade.

10. In a stream'emotor, a rotorrcomprising hub portions and a plurality of double cambered semi-V circular blade elements attached' to the hub por- 5o tions, the angle of inclination of the outer surface of each blade' being lessthan the inclination of the inner surface of the blade.`

11.V In a stream motor, comprising'hub'portions i Y Y and a'plurality of double ,camberedV semi-circular 12. In a stream motor, arotor comprising hublG-O 4 portions and a plurality of double cambered semicircularshaped blade elements attached te the Y hub portions',rthe angle of Vinclination of the outer surface o f Yeach blade being lessY than the inclination ofthe inner surface of the blade, the

' inner surface of each blade beingv curved inward-l ly and outwardly near the points of attachment of the blade to `the hubs.

13. A double cambered semi-circular` shapedV 0- blade element, the camber ofthe inside of each `blade being greater than the camber on the o utside of the blade.

14. A double cambered semi-circular shaped blade element having a semi-circular leading edge, 75

the camber on the inside of the blade element being greater than the camber on the outside.

15. A double cambered semi-circular shaped blade element, the Width of the blade near the 5 ends thereof being less than the Width at the center of the blade.

16. A double cambered semi-circular shaped blade element, having a semi-circular leading edge, the Width of the blade near the ends thereof being less than the width at the center of the blade.

WILBUR E. METHVIN. 

